This invention relates to apparatus for imprinting money orders, checks, and the like.
Known imprinting apparatus, commonly referred to as check writers or money order printing machines, employ type segments or printing members having printing characters thereon which are independently movable to selectively dispose any of the printing characters on a printing line preparatory to effecting printing on a blank check, money order form or analogous instrument. The blank checks or money order forms in many instances provide for imprinting of the current date and of indicia identifying the source or location of printing such as a Post Office, bank or other source as well as the dollar amount for which the check or money order is written. The date, and the dollar and cents amount are imprinted using the movable type segments whereas a fixed plate bearing indicia identifying the source is used to print that information. Thus, a special plate must be provided for each imprinting machine, and if a given machine is moved to a different location, it must be provided with a new plate bearing the necessary identifying information.
Existing check writing machines imprint the amount for which the money order is issued in conventional arabic characters so as to be easily and readily recognizable by the individual ordering the money order. As a deterrent to alterations of the dollar amount printed on the money order form, a perforating plate or the like is used to provide serrations in the money order form where the dollar amount is printed. Processing these money orders or checks requires manual handling, including manual data entry on keypunching to print the dollar and cents amount on the money order or check in a suitable format for automatic processing by banking institutions, typically by optical character recognition apparatus. Thus, it would be desirable if the information indicating the dollar and cents amount of the money order or check were imprinted on the form both in conventional arabic numerals and in characters which are optically readable by character recognition apparatus.
Moreover, it would be desireable also to have a checkwriter, which produces high quality imprinted documents suitable for use on high speed optical character recognition equipment and which provide security of the imprinted dollar amount that is equal to or better than the standard checkwriter practices acceptable to banking institutions.
Checkwriting machines presently available employ reel-to-reel inked ribbons for inking the printing wheels. The inked ribbons must be changed frequently. This requires threading the leading portion of the inked ribbon passed the printing mechanism and winding it onto the take-up reel, which can be a difficult and messy task. Also, because a portion of the inked ribbon is exposed within the unit, a person servicing the machine may accidentally contact the inked roller with their hand or fingers. Thus, it would be desirable to have a checkwriter apparatus which eliminates the inconveniences associated with the use of reel-to-reel inked ribbons in checkwriters.
A further consideration is that blank instruments of different sizes are frequently used. Also, in the case of postal money orders, the size of the money order form is changed form time to time. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a checkwriter apparatus which readily adapts to blank instruments of different sizes and shapes.